I once heard someone say, “If it weren’t for weather, what would people talk about!” It’s really true, isn’t it? I think it’s because weather is one of those topics that provides comfortable conversation with good friends at lunch or total strangers in an elevator. We can complain about it or celebrate it; we can discuss it or explain it—but no matter the weather, it gives us something to talk about.

I spent most of my life in Michigan with dramatic weather changes from one season to the next. We experienced warm, sunny summers, breathtaking colorful autumns, long and brutal winters, and springtime that teased of warmer days to come. As a preschool teacher, the changing seasons were something to celebrate, and I often incorporated the weather into songs, stories, and creative art projects.  We made snow scenes with cotton balls, multi-colored leaves with tiny pieces of crumpled tissue paper, and spring flowers with cupcake papers. Every season inspired fun and creative ideas.

As parents, teachers, and grandparents, we can use the changing season to teach children about God’s power and glory, and how He controls and sustains the universe He created. Who makes it snow or rain? Why does spring always follow winter? How do the leaves change color and fall off the trees? As we answer these and other questions, we can bring children into a greater awareness of God’s activity in our everyday lives.

God reveals Himself to us in nature and He shows His faithfulness in the changing seasons. Genesis 8:22 (NIV) says, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

I now live in Florida where our seasons are warm, hot, and hotter. But if I’m ever missing a Michigan winter, I find some cotton balls and make a snow scene.

Crystal